Brazil (Part II): From "Multispecies Families" to Deterrence — Constructing a Composite Legal Shield Against Dog and Cat Consumption

BRASÍLIA / HONG KONG — Within the overarching landscape of companion animal jurisprudence globally, Latin America is demonstrating compelling progressive vision. Following Costa Rica’s explicit administrative prohibition and Argentina’s enlightened judicial jurisprudence, Brazil—the largest and most populous nation in Latin America—offers a highly persuasive national paradigm for the global eradication of the dog and cat meat trade through its unique legal architecture and profound social ethics.

In Brazil, dogs and cats have never formed part of mainstream culinary tradition. Instead, more than 80 million companion dogs and cats are deeply integrated into the nation’s social fabric. In meeting the contemporary challenge of safeguarding companion animals, Brazil has not relied on a single isolated penal clause. Rather, it has erected an airtight, functional ban through a threefold legal barrier: administrative food safety containment, aggravated criminal penalties, and the civil doctrine of sentient beings rather than property (Não-Coisas).

The First Line of Defense: Agricultural Food Safety Regulations Severing Legal Supply at the Root

Brazil’s functional exclusion of dog and cat meat is founded primarily on the highest standards of national sanitary inspection and veterinary public health.

Under the Regulation on Industrial and Sanitary Inspection of Products of Animal Origin (RIISPOA, Federal Decree No. 9.013/2017) promulgated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), dogs and cats have never been included on the statutory list of agricultural livestock authorized for human consumption (which comprises cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, equines, and specified farmed game):

• Zero Licensing and Absence of Inspection Standards: The Brazilian state establishes no official slaughter inspection criteria for dogs and cats, nor does MAPA issue commercial slaughterhouse licenses for companion animals.

  
  

• Statutory Classification as Clandestine Slaughter: In the absence of an approved regulatory inspection framework, any commercial slaughter, processing, transport, or distribution of dog or cat meat is legally designated as clandestine slaughter (abate clandestino) and a grave public health violation. Enforcement authorities are empowered to execute administrative closures, seize contraband, levy heavy financial penalties, and initiate criminal proceedings for sanitary infractions.

  
  

• Strict Oversight of Roadkill and Deceased Remains: To prevent potential loopholes—such as the scavenging or collection of accidental roadkill or diseased carcasses—RIISPOA strictly prohibits the consumption of any animal that has not undergone mandatory ante-mortem inspection or has died of unnatural causes, trauma, or disease.

  
  

The Second Line of Defense: The Sansão Law Imposes Severe Penalties, Equating Slaughter with Aggravated Cruelty

Because no lawful commercial slaughter mechanism exists, Brazilian judicial practice precludes any defense claiming that killing a dog or cat constitutes "legitimate meat harvesting." Instead, any killing or harm inflicted on a dog or cat is automatically classified as felonious abuse and mutilation.

In 2020, the National Congress of Brazil enacted the historic Sansão Law (Lei Sansão, Federal Law No. 14.064/2020), amending Article 32 of the Environmental Crimes Law (Law No. 9.605/1998):

• Exclusive Aggravated Penalties for Dogs and Cats: The Sansão Law created an aggravated subsection specifically applied to dogs and cats (Paragraph 1º-A): anyone who abuses, mistreats, or mutilates a dog (cão) or cat (gato) faces a statutory sentence of 2 to 5 years of formal imprisonment (reclusão), alongside criminal fines and mandatory revocation of guardianship rights.

  
  

• Removal of Minor Offense Status and Immediate Detention: By setting the statutory maximum sentence at five years, offenses against dogs and cats ceased to be treated as "minor infractions" (menor potencial ofensivo). Law enforcement agencies are authorized to execute immediate arrests in flagrante (prisão em flagrante), while judiciary magistrates can order pre-trial detention, establishing formidable deterrence against any intentional harm or slaughter.

  
  

Jurisprudential Transformation: Moving Toward Sentient Entities (Não-Coisas)

Brazilian society is broadly embracing the doctrine of the "Multispecies Family" (Família Multiespécie). This cultural shift is actively reshaping foundational civil law, advancing a landmark paradigm shift from traditional property concepts toward recognition of animals as sentient subjects:

• The "Non-Thing" Statutory Status: From pioneer state legislation—such as São Paulo State Law No. 17.115/2019—to comprehensive reform proposals within the federal Civil Code (such as Article 82-A), Brazilian law is establishing that animals are "sentient beings (seres sencientes), subject to a special legal regime, and not mere objects (não-coisas)."

  
  

• Statutory Custody in Family Law: Federal Law No. 15.392/2026 formally operationalized this status within domestic relations, statutorily establishing shared custody (custódia compartilhada) and maintenance obligations for companion animals upon marital dissolution, permanently differentiating dogs and cats from standard divisible assets.

  
  

Dedicated Legislative Horizons: Bill PL 3017/2019 and International Leadership

While current food safety and penal regimes already function as an effective prohibition, progressive lawmakers in the National Congress continue to seek an explicit, integrated statutory ban. The Chamber of Deputies is currently processing Bill PL 3017/2019, which seeks to directly prohibit the slaughter, processing, commercial sale, and consumption of canine and feline meat across national territory. Having already secured passage through the Committee on Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services (CDEICS) and the Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development (CMADS), the bill is currently pending deliberation in the Committee on Constitution, Justice, and Citizenship (CCJC).

For the World Dog Alliance, Brazil’s multi-layered model provides vital strategic insights. As a G20 member and prominent voice across the Global South, Brazil’s coherent legal structure, uncompromising food safety mandates, and widespread social recognition of companion animals as sentient beings position it as an indispensable global benchmark.

The World Dog Alliance will continue to track Brazil’s domestic legislative evolution and Latin America’s collective momentum. We remain convinced that this continent—steeped in a living tradition of reverence for companion animals—will serve as a key pillar in advancing and ratifying the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats.